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Switchblade Knife Law and Legal Definition

Switchblade knife is a kind of knife (pocketknife) with a folding or sliding blade attached to the handle which is opened by a spring or mechanism when a button or lever on the grip is pressed. It is also known as an automatic knife, or flick knife. Knife is a bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person. In some states, knife is a prohibited weapon.

The following is an example of a state statute ( Texas) defining switchblade knife:

According to Tex. Penal Code § 46.01 (11) [Penal Code; Title 10 Offenses against Public Health, Safety, and Morals; Chapter 46 Weapons] the term switchblade knife means "any knife that has a blade that folds, closes, or retracts into the handle or sheath and that opens automatically by pressure applied to a button or other device located on the handle or opens or releases a blade from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or by the application of centrifugal force. The term does not include a knife that has a spring, detent, or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist, or arm to overcome the bias toward closure and open the knife."